Releasable ice cube tray



May 15, 1934. s vo 1,958,502

RELEASABLE ICE CUBE TRAY Filed Oct. 4, 1932' Patented May 15, 1934 RELEASABLE ICE CUBE TRAY Alexander S. Volpin, Houston, Tex. Application October 4, 1932, Serial No. 636,100

I 12 Claims. (01. 62-108.5)

The invention relates to an improvement in ice cube trays of the type used in connection with mechanical refrigerators.

It is well known that considerable difficulty is encountered in removing the ice cube trays from mechanical refrigerators due to the accumulation of frost caused by the condensation of moisture in and about the refrigerating coils and crypt. Various devices have been provided for the purpose of reducing the amount of frost accumulating in and about the ice cube trays so that they may be more readily removed. Such devices, however, are expensive and cumbersome and it is with a view of providing a simple and economical construction which will permit the ready removal of the ice cube trays that the present invention has been devised.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an ice cube tray with an extensible handle which is adapted for use as a lever in prying the tray loose from its seat in the crypt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle for ice cube trays which can be used as a lever in breaking the bond of frost engaging the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ice cube tray having a handle which is extensible therefrom and which can be collapsed to permit the use of the tray wherever the standard form of trays are to be used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible handle for ice cube trays which will normally remain in collapsed position and will be extensible by overcoming a predetermined re.- sistance in attempting to remove the tray from the crypt whereupon the handle will extend and is then available as a lever in prying the trays loose'from their position.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a-top plan view of a tray constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the handle in both collapsed and extended position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tray and illustrating the arrangement of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 shows the handle detached from the tray and illustrating the fact that the handle is of spring material so that it will normally be retained in any position to which it has been moved.

Ice cube trays used in connection with mechanical refrigerators take difierent forms and conflgurations but in the main they embody substantially rectangular trays. One such tray is indicated generally at 2 in Fig. 1 where the tray is provided with a plurality of partitions 3 which define the areas in which the ice cubes are to be formed. These trays are usually formed of a sheet of metal, rubber or other suitable material and when the tray is to be constructed in accordance with the present invention the sheet 4 of 85 material will be of sufficient size to provide a flange or channel 6.

This channel is best seen in Fig.3 and includes the top 7, the side 8, and the base 9. While this form of channel or flange has been shownit is to be understood that any suitable trackway or other retaining and supporting construction for the collapsible handle may be provided. As seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the channels 6 are provided on each side of the tray and serve to form a hollow pocket 10. This pocket is preferably open at the forward end of the tray as at 11, so that the handle 12 may be inserted therein. The handle is best seen in Fig. 4 and includes the central or gripping portion 13 and the arms 14 and 15. The handle as a whole has a U-configuration and is made of material so that the arms 14 and 15 will normally be in the positf on shown in Fig. 4. That is, they will spring apart to some extent so that the ends 17 thereof will be farther apart than the length of the gripping portion. When the handle is to be inserted in the tray the arms 14 and 15 may be moved together by applying pressure and the ends 17 inserted in the pockets 10. It is intended that each of the arms 14 and 15 w.ll be provided with an outstanding projec-r tion or enlargement such as 18, which is in turn arranged to fit within an opening 19 in the side 8 of the channel 6. It is apparent that when the'handle is moved inwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 2 that the enlargement 18 will move into the opening and quite firmly hold the handle-in collapsed position. When, however, a pull is exerted upon the handle, which is sufficient to overcome the spring force of the arms 14 and 15, then the enlargement 18 will be moved inwardly and leave the opening 19 to.s1ide along on the inside face of the channel 6.

It is desirable that the handle be moved inwardly or extended only the desired distance and not that it be entirely removed. With this in mind, a pin and slot connection has been provided which includes a slot 25 in the side 8 of the channel 6 and a pin 26, one of which is carried by each of the arms 14 and 15. The slot 25 will be of sufficient length to permit extension of the handle but yet will limit the outward movement so that a considerable, portion of each of the arms 14 and 15 will be retained within the channel to provide a suitable leverage in prying the tray loose from its position. If desired, a plurality of projections 29 may be provided-on the arms 14 and 15, so that they will be spaced slightly from contact with the inside surface of the channel 6. In this manner an accumulation of frost will not bind the handle securely to the channel and tray.

In the use of the invention, after the ice has been formed in the tray, and it is desired to remove the same, the handle will be grasped by the portion 13 and a pull exerted thereon. If the tray is bonded to the crypt by an accumulation of frost the resistance will be considerable and an additional pull will then cause the buttons 18 to be unseated from the openings 19, so that the handle 12 will move outwardly to extended position. This is the dotted line position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. With the handle in this position a considerable leverage is provided and the handle may be movedupwardly to break the bond between the crypt and tray or a downward pressure may be exerted, dependent upon the position of the tray in the crypt.

It should be noted that there is a considerable portion of each of the arms 14 and 15 still within the channel 6, so that a prying effect is transmitted to the tray so that it will be broken loose from its position. As soon as the tray has been loosened the handle can be again collapsed or the tray can be carried by the handle in extending position.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described that the invention may assume any of the various modifications which provide a structure for loosening the frost bond between the tray and its seat as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. An ice tray including a body portion, side flanges on said body including bent portions to form a hollow pocket, a handle for said tray of U-formatlon and having its ends disposed in the pocket at each side of said tray, means to limit the sliding movement of said handle with respect to said tray whereby said handle may be telescoped inwardly to lie adjacent the end of said tray or be moved outwardly to serve as a lever in breaking the frost bond between the tray and the crypt.

2. In combination with a refrigerating crypt an ice tray, a handle for said tray, a sliding connection between said tray and handle including means whereby the handle may be extended to provide a lever for loosening the tray from the ypt.

it is specifically intended 3. An ice tray of the character described including a handle, a sliding connection between said tray and said handle, and means to normaliy retain said handle in collapsed position. a

4. An-ice tray of the character described including a handle, a sliding connection between said tray and said handle, and means to normally retain said handle in collapsed position but re- ,leasable when said tray adheres to the crypt whereby said handle is extensible.

5. An ice tray of the character described including a handle, a sliding connection between" said tray and said handle, and means to normally retain said handle in collapsed position but releasable when said tray adheres to the crypt whereby said handle is extensible to serve as a lever in breaking the frost bond with the crypt.

6. In combination with an ice tray an extensible handle adapted to be used as a lever in breaking the tray loose from its seat after the freezing operation, said tray including side channels, said handle including arms disposed in said channels.

7. In combination with an ice tray an extensible handle adapted to be used as a lever in breaking the tray loose from its seat after the freezing operation, said tray including side channels, said handle including arms disposed in said channels, and means to resist extension of said handle to a predetermined degree.

8. In combination with an ice tray an extensible handle adapted to be used as a lever in breaking the tray loose from its seat after the freezing operation, said tray including side channels, said handle including arms disposed in said channels, and means to resist extension of said handleto a predetermined degree, and means to space said arms from said channels. I 9. An ice tray devised to facilitate its ready removal from the freezing crypt, including a body, a handle slidably carried by said body, and means whereby the handle may be extended and used to pry the tray loose from the ice bond.

10. In combination with a refrigerating crypt, a container to be cooled, a handle for said container, a sliding connection between said container and said handle including means whereby the said handle may be extended to provide leverage to manually lift said tray from the crypt.

11. In combination with an ice tray an extensible means connected thereto, said means being slidable outwardly from said tray and forming a lever when so outwardly extended to remove the tray from the freezing chamber.

12. An ice tray including means to loosen the tray from the freezing chamber, said means being extensible and forming a lever to pry the tray loose from the freezing chamber. 

